Toy parachute



Aug. 9, .1938. A. H. VOGT I 2,126,156

TOY PARACHUTE I Filed Mar0h'3, 1937 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention aimsto provide a new and improved toy parachute which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed and therefore sold at small cost, yet will afford a great dealof pleasure.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the manner in which the toy is propelled into the air, a suitable sling-shot being shown in dotted. lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation at right angles to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4'4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary inner side view of the lower or rear end of the pivoted cover.

Fig. 6 is a disassembled perspective view.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation illustrating the toy substantially as it appears during descent.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be specifically described, with the understanding however, that variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 8 denotes an elongated fiat cradle plate upon which to longitudinally rest a toy parachute 9 when the latter is in rolled form as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, said cradle plate 8 having a weighted nose I at its front end and being provided with'a laterally bent rear end providing a wall I I to abut the rear end of the folded and rolled parachute 9. The nose II] is preferably formed by casting a quantity of lead or other suitable metal upon the front extremity of the cradle plate 8, and said nose is provided with a lateral hook I2 for engagement with a sling-shot or the like I3 used for propelling the toy into the air. The usual lines I4 of the parachute 9 are secured to the plate 8 and provision is made for holding the rolled parachute 9 against said plate while the toy is being impelled, and during the flight into the air produced by the impelling means I3. the means holding the parachute against the plate 9 being then released however, freeing the parachute and allowing it to open as the toy descends. The flat form of the cradle plate 8 insures that the rolled parachute shall readily leave said plate when the holding means is released. I prefer to make use of a longitudinally channeled cover I for holding the rolled para chute in place against the cradle plate 8, the front end of said cover being pivoted to said cradle plate by means of a pivot pin I6 passing through the front corners of the cover and passing also through lateral lugs I! which project from the longitudinal edges of the cradle plate 8 in the same direction as that taken by the lateral wall II. The cover I5 is preferably of such length that its rear end projects beyond and partially receives the wall I l to prevent said wall II from resisting the flight of the toy, said rear end of said cover and said wall being provided with flexible tabs I8 and I9 respectively, to be held together with one hand while the sling-shot or the like I3 is operated with the other. I prefer to use tubular rivets 20 and 2| in securing the tabs I 8 and I9 to the cover I5 and wall II respectively, and said tabs may be of leather or other preferred material. By holding these tabs together with one hand while operating the sling-shot or the like with the other, it is insured that the rolled parachute 9 shall be held in proper place prior to propelling the toy into the air, and as long as it is in flight, the air pressure against the cover I5 holds it closed. As soon as the propelling force is expended however, the toy reverses its position and the cover I5 swings outwardly, releasing the parachute 9 with the result that this parachute opens as the toy descends, producing a very realistic appearance.

It is preferable to make use of a rubber band 22 to aid in opening the cover I5. This rubber band is looped around the cradle plate 8 in front of the lugs I! as shown at 23, extends over the pivot pin I6 and extends rearwardly at the inner side of the cover I5. A portion of the band extends outwardly through the tubular rivet 20 as seen most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 and is looped at 24 around the secured end of the tab l8. The band 22 is, of course, tensioned and its tension serves to outwardly swing the cover I5 when the air pressure against said cover is sufficiently diminished due to slowing down or stopping of the toy at the end of its ascent. To insure that proper air pressure shall be attained to hold the cover I5 closed until the proper time, said cover preferably increases in width toward its rear end as shown, and this is also preferably true of the cradle plate 8. The widened rear end of this cradle plate and the adjacent portion of the lateral wall I I may well be formed with openings 25 through which the lines I4 may be passed and tied, to connect said lines with said cradle plate.

By providing the novel construction shown and described, a toy is provided which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, and may therefore be sold at small cost, yet it will afford a great deal of pleasure and may be repeatedly conditioned for re-use after any flight and descent, simply by re-rolling the parachute 9, laying it upon the cradle plate 8, and closing the cover [5. l V

The detailsdisclosed have proven to be of advantage from numerous; standpoints andare therefore preferably followed. However, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A toy to be propelled into the air, comprising a parachute in rolled form, a fiat elongated cradle upon which to longitudinally place the rolled parachute, the parachute lines being secured to said cradle plate, the rear end of said cradle plate being provided with a lateral wall to abut the rear end of said rolled parachute, a weight secured to the front end of said fiat cradle plate and having means to engage a propelling device, a longitudinally channeled cover having its open side disposed toward said flat cradle plate to hold said rolled parachuteagainst said fiat cradle plate, the front end of said channeled cover plate being transversely pivoted to the front portion of said flat cradle plate, the rear end of said channeled cover plate being sufilciently wide to receive the outer end of said lateral wall, and rearwardly projecting tabs secured to said wall and said rear end of said cover to be held by one hand while the propelling device is being operated with the other hand.

2. A toy to be propelled into the air, comprising a parachute in rolled form, a fiat elongated forwardly tapered sheet metal strip upon which to longitudinally place the rolled parachute, the parachute lines being secured to said strip near the rear end of the latter, said rear end of said strip being bent laterally to provide a lateral wall to abut the rear end of said rolled parachute, a weight secured to the front end of said flat strip and having means to engage a propelling device, a second elongated sheet metal strip bent into transversely channeled form to provide a channeled cover having its open side disposed toward said flat strip for holding said rolled parachute against "said fiat strip, said channeled cover being forwardly tapered and having its front end transversely pivoted to the front portion of said flat strip, the rear end of said channeled cover being sufiiciently wide to receive the outer end of said lateral wall, and rearwardly projecting flexible tabs secured to said wall and said rear end of said cover to be held by one hand while the propelling device is being operated with the other hand,

3. A toy to be propelled-into the air, comprising two elongated parachute-holding members, a transverse pivot pin between and connecting the front portions of said members, tabs projecting rearwardly from the rear ends of said members, one of said tabs being secured to one of said members by meansof a tubular rivet, and a tensioned rubber band passed transversely across the front side of said pivot pin, one of the looped end portions of said rubber band being passed outwardly through said tubular rivet and looped around the tab held by said rivet to anchor this looped end of the band, the other looped end of said band being extended laterally with respect to said pivot pin and .looped around the front portion of the other of said members, whereby said tentioned band will relatively open said members when wind pressure against the latter is relieved.

ARTHUR H. VOG'I. 

